CHARGERS:Division showdowns come early in 2009

SAN DIEGO -- A dramatic late-season run to the postseason, like
the one the Chargers generated in 2008, will be much harder to
accomplish in 2009.

The Chargers played three AFC West opponents during last
season's final four games, allowing a team that bottomed out at 4-8
to move up the division standings and set up a do-or-die showdown
with the rival Denver Broncos in the regular-season finale.

The Chargers won't have that luxury next season. They play their
last division opponent in their 11th game. That fact was revealed
on Tuesday afternoon when the NFL released its 2009 schedule.

The Chargers, slow starters during both of coach Norv Turner's
two seasons in charge, must take care of business early in order to
win their fourth-straight AFC West championship and earn a
guaranteed spot in the playoffs.

"We play a lot of our division games early," Chargers president
Dean Spanos said on the team Web site. "It's a little bit unusual
to be through with division play with five games to go. That's a
different dynamic than we've seen in a long time."

It's an unprecedented predicament for the Chargers, who last
concluded the regular season with four nondivisional opponents in
2000. The team has never played its last five games without facing
a division opponent. That means the Chargers have to be in first
place on Nov. 29 if they wish to control their own destiny within
the division.

The lack of late divisional play isn't the only oddity on the
Chargers' schedule.

They play a Friday night game at Tennessee on Christmas -- the
last of four night games -- leaving just four days to recover from
a home date with Cincinnati and prepare for a Titans team that had
the NFL's best regular-season record in 2008.

The Chargers open the season on Monday night against the
Raiders, play another "Monday Night Football" affair at home
against Denver on Oct. 19, and have a Sunday night game at Heinz
Field in Pittsburgh on Oct. 11.

The Chargers will play the entire NFC East and the entire AFC
North, in addition to games against Miami and Tennessee by virtue
of last season's first-place finish. They match up against six 2008
playoff teams, including three of the four participants in last
season's conference championship games.

"Every NFL schedule is difficult," Spanos said. "We've got a
great schedule of home games for our fans. We've got a lot of
challenging games, but we need to just go prepare ourselves and
play."